


Second Life, Second Chance at Love

by animedevilluvzyuri



Category: Tales of Berseria
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Eventual Romance, F/F, Yuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-10-29 16:02:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10857342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animedevilluvzyuri/pseuds/animedevilluvzyuri
Summary: "Maybe in another world, in another life, we can meet again and start over. I will wait for you when that time comes and when it does, I'll fall in love with you again."





	1. Mysterious Dream

**A/N: I'm going to have a serious discussion with both my brain and my wild active imagination.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Berseria

Second Life, Second Chance at Love

Chapter One: Mysterious Dream

At a large imposing ancient temple, several shadowy figures circled around a beam of light that was shooting up into the sky towards a strange structure. They would already be up there if it weren't two of their group off somewhere for a brief private discussion. These two mentioned were not far from the rest of the group. In fact, they were behind one of the pillars nearby. However, they weren't having a private discussion. With the light shining upon them, the one against the pillar was embracing her companion while engaging to what it seemed to be a passionate kiss while her eyes were closed. The one receiving the kiss was in shock by the kiss but didn't break it. The kiss lasted for a few seconds but the one who initiated the kiss broke it off and separated from the other girl while opening her eyes giving her a loving look within them to those beautiful golden eyes. She could feel her heart race due to her recent action but had no choice. They were upon the final battle and knew what her love would do. The only regret she had was that her love for the other girl was brief. That fact alone wrenched her heart the most. This was the final chance she would have to express her love for the girl in front of her. She caressed the other girl's cheeks gently with her hand. "Maybe in another world, in another life, we can meet again and start over. I will wait for you when that time comes and when it does, I'll fall in love with you again."

She meant those words. They have gone through many trials together and it was those trials that made her confirm her love for the girl in front of her. It was more that, though. It made her love all the stronger. In a surprise move, the girl in front her lifted her chin and closed the distance between them and she started to kiss her with the same amount of passion. This time, her eyes closed while the first girl had her eyes widened with surprise. She slowly started to close her eyes and wrapped her arms around the other girl while wrapping her arms around the other girl's raven black hair and returning the kiss. The kiss lasted several seconds longer than the last one before the second girl broke the kiss. Their eyes opened while their bodies were still close to each other. She gave the other girl a reassuring smile. "If that does ever happen, I'll find you, no matter how long it'll take." Hearing those words made the first girl's heart soar. It was a wish beyond their hope and their world but that is the truth both would have to accept. They decided to share one more kiss before returning to their companions. They neared one another and slowly closed the distance between them. Once close enough, the light between them shined brightly and blindly.

_D_

A groan could be heard and a sight was focused on a wooden ceiling. There was girl currently under the sheets of her bed with the light beaming through the window next to her. She sat up and placed a hand on her face with her eyes closed. "What a strange dream." She removed her hand and opened her eyes to look out the window to see the trees outside. A realization struck her. "That's right. Today is my birthday." The girl sighed as she fell back down to her bed. She turned her head to the side to see a large dresser with a jewel placed on top. Seeing the jewel made her feel slightly somber inside her body. "Happy birthday Eleanor. I guess."

Eleanor didn't have any special plans for her birthday and decided to spend it inside her home reading a book or two. Treating it as the same as any other day. That is until she heard several knocks at her door. "Hey, Eleanor! Are you awake yet!? Get up and answer the door!" Eleanor sighed once again and tossed the covers away and stood up from her bed wearing her oversized plain tan short-sleeved shirt. Eleanor exited her room and made her way to the door. She knew all too well who the person at her door was. It was probably for the better since she was Eleanor's friend in the village she lived in. She approached the door and turned the hand to open the door. Sure enough, it was her. The girl in front of Eleanor gave a playful smile. "Well, good morning and about time. Happy birthday by the way. How are old are you now? Eighteen? My, how the time passes for both of us."

It was way too early for Eleanor to deal with her friend but it was too late. She was here and sure enough, she had a plan for her. "Good morning Magilou. Come inside since you're going to anyway." She walked away from the door and Magilou entered the house.

She closed the door and turned her attention to Eleanor. "So, what does our dear Eleanor has planned for the day? No doubt something marvelous since this is your eighteenth."

All Eleanor did was returning to her room and sat back down on her bed. "Nothing special. Just like in my last birthday. I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing."

Magilou felt a little insulted hearing that. "Now that just won't do. I've been lenient about how you celebrate your coming to this world but this is one I won't abide by. It is your eighteenth which is a very special and a very important milestone in your life. And I, as your friend, your compatriot, and your common sense, won't stand for you wasting such a momentous occasion with you being holed up in your abode. No arguments or exceptions and that's final."

If anything, Magilou was always an endless source of entertainment for Eleanor. Still, though, as comical Magilou was, she was serious about what she said earlier which is a pain for the other girl. "Fine then since you leave me no choice in the matter. Let me clean up and dress. I'll meet you outside."

Magilou smiled at her friend. "Good. I expect you to be outside in less than five minutes. Chop chop." She made her way back to the door and opened it. Magilou made her exit with shutting the door after her leaving.

There was no way out now and Magilou was determined to make the best of today, despite Eleanor being reluctant about it. With that thought, she finally decided to wash up a little and get dressed for whatever Magilou had planned for her.

**B**

When Eleanor was done putting on her clothes which were a light lime-green blouse accompanied by a white skirt above her knees and boots of the same color. Once dressed, she exited out the door to her home which pleased Magilou and set out to the village. The village Eleanor lived in was not her home village. She was brought into the village after her home village was destroyed in what she considered to be the dreadful and terrifying night of her life. That was ten years ago. Thankfully, her former village's elder was a longtime friend of the elder of the village Eleanor was currently living in who just so happens to be Magilou's grandfather. She was thankful for his kindness but what happened on that night ten years ago will forever haunt her long after her eighteenth birthday. When the two entered the village, it was quite quaint. It's wasn't small but everyone knew each other and were friendly. Something Eleanor was grateful for. The two girls were walking around with Magilou leading Eleanor. "So, what do you have planned for me on my birthday?"

Magilou put up a playful smile. "Beats me. I haven't the slightest clue."

Eleanor almost fell over when she heard the answer but quickly recomposed herself. She was both flabbergasted and a little mad at her friend. "You don't know? Then why did you make such a big deal about my birthday earlier?!"

Her friend turned her head and gave her a sly grin. "Because it would be boring that that. A whole special for you without knowing what to do. Think of the endless possibilities you can think of and look back at them as memorable."

Eleanor had to do a mental facepalm with the other girl's explanation. "It's not that different from any other day."

Magilou knew which button to push when it came to her friend. "So there's nothing exciting you can think of you want to do? It's your birthday so you can speak your mind freely. No restrictions, the sky is the limit, you have the whole world as your oyster for this momentous occasion!"

If anything, Magilou did have a way with words. If Eleanor could describe her with just one word, it would be "eccentric". She honestly thought Magilou would make a great thespian given the way of how she acts. There really wasn't anything Eleanor could think of doing. All she wanted to do was just stay in bed and read a book. Then she thought up one idea that came to her mind. "Maybe going outside the village to pick out some flowers? That's something we can do."

Magilou wasn't all that pleased to hear her friend's suggestion. "Really? That's it? Come on, why not choose something with a little more flair, like hunting and fighting prickleboars."

"You know I can't fight, Magilou." Eleanor retorted.

The other girl thought otherwise. "If we cannot fight, then we flee for safety. There's always that option. Still, if you want to do something simple as flower collecting, by all means, go ahead. It'll be a start."

At least they agreed on something. Still, there were the dangers they had to be careful of. "Let's just make sure we stay in the safe part of the forest nearby. Any deeper and there's a good chance we'll encounter something worse than a prickleboar."

Magilou waved her hand nonchalantly. "Yes, yes, safety above all else. Let's get going already." They made their way to the outskirts of the village.

B

As promised, Eleanor and Magilou were in the forest just outside of the village. The outer part was safe enough because it was so close to the village so there was little to no dangerous encounters aside from a few prickleboar encounters but they can be easily dealt with. Eleanor was sitting on her knees picking what flowers seemed pretty to her and put them in a basket she and Magilou had bought just before they left the village. Picking flowers were somewhat of a pastime she did at her home village with her mother before that night had happened. It was a little comforting of her. While she was picking flowers, Magilou decided to pick herbs. They were close by to each other and Eleanor turned to her friend. "Did you find any good herbs to use?"

Magilou pulled out another one and placed it her basket. "A few that you can say."

Eleanor resumed picking out her flowers. "So how's your training of being a healer going?"

The other girl was busy searching for another herb. "Fine if you want to call it that. Although, Melchior can lighten up about my studies. That part is always troublesome." For some reason, Magilou always called her grandfather by his name. She did at one time when they were young but then stopped that when she became older.

"He just wants you to be prepared for whatever happens. If he's being hard on you, it just means he wants you to succeed." Eleanor plucked another flower.

Magilou had already came to that conclusion. "I know, I know." Eleanor continued to pick each flower she could find until she came across a flower with yellow petals. She stared at the petals and began to remember something from the recesses of her mind. What came of it were piercing golden eyes for some reason. "-Anor. -leanor. Eleanor!" Eleanor's thought was broken when she heard Magilou's voice and turned her with a surprised look on her face while Magilou was standing over her. "Jeez. I never took you for the type to be lost in thought. You were staring at that flower for a few minutes. So what is it that has this flower to have you contemplate?"

Eleanor looked back at the flower. "You might think this is strange but I had a dream."

The other girl raised an eyebrow. "And what's so strange about that. You dream, I dream, dogs dream. So what is it that's so perplexing?"

Eleanor tried to recall her dream from earlier. "It's just that…it was about a person. A girl, actually. I don't know who she is. Just that she had golden eyes and raven black hair. That's all I can remember." In truth, there was more about the dream but Eleanor thought it was best to keep that to herself. Otherwise, Magilou won't stop prying about it.

Her explanation did have Magilou a little puzzled. "A dream about a girl with eyes of gold and raven black hair. It is indeed strange but perhaps there's a meaning behind it."

If anything, that sounded strange to Eleanor. "A meaning?"

Magilou nodded and raised up a finger. "Yes. They say some dreams you have may mean something. Maybe this mystery girl you were seeing in your dreams is someone important."

Eleanor chuckled a little at the explanation. "I highly doubt that. Maybe it was something I ate last night." She grabbed the handle of her basket and stood up. "I'm going ahead."

The other girl just shrugged. "Okay but don't go getting yourself in trouble. If you do, shriek like the fair maiden that you are and I'll come running to save you."

"And by save, you mean both of us running for our lives, correct?"

Magilou winked at the other girl and snapped her fingers. "You know me so well. I'll be with you as soon as I pick out a few more herbs. Until then, have fun." Eleanor nodded and waved goodbye before leaving.

She traveled a little further then Eleanor would've liked but she did manage to find another group of flowers. "These should do." Eleanor sat on her knees again and started to pick the flowers. She didn't get far as she heard small rustling from some nearby bushes. Eleanor stopped and looked at the directions of the bushes. "Who's there? Magilou?" She didn't hear a reply but was certain it was Magilou. It wasn't the first time she pulled off a jump scare on Eleanor. She stood up and walked over to the bushes. "Magilou, you might as well come out because I know that's yo-"

Eleanor suddenly heard a roar and fell to the ground while screaming. She saw three prickleboars come out of the bushes and were looking directly at her. Obviously, it wasn't Magilou but now Eleanor was in trouble. She crawled away from the beasts while still being in fear of them. "Prickleboars? Here? But you're not supposed to be in this part of the forest!"

The prickleboar at the center roared and began to charge at Eleanor. She was frozen in fear and closed her eyes expecting the worse. However, that didn't happen as Eleanor heard the prickleboar screeching out in pain. She opened her eyes and gasped as there was a girl who seemed to be Eleanor's age standing in between her and the other two prickleboars. What was interesting enough was the weapon she carried. It was like a sword but it was coming out from what it seemed to be a metal bracelet around her wrist. Eleanor saw the prickleboar who was charging at her lying dead near the girl. "Stay back. I'll handle them." She charged at the two remaining prickleboars and delivered several swift slashes at one of them. While she was busy with one of them, the other prickleboar charged at Eleanor. The girl saw that it was going to attack Eleanor and quickly ran in front of the beasts. Its attack struck her instead with its tusks.

The girl groaned in pain but quickly recomposed herself and delivered a counterattack by charging at the beast and stabbed it in the head. The girl flicked her blade to be rid of the blood and it retracted back inside the bracelet. "That was close." She turned around and walked toward Eleanor. "I apologize for that. I was hunting them from the deeper part of the woods here. I didn't expect them to run into you." She stopped in front of Eleanor and offered her hand while smiling. "You're not hurt, are you?" All Eleanor could do was stare in awe and disbelief. The girl in front of her had golden eyes like those from her dream and had long raven black hair tied up in a braided ponytail. She wanted to speak but no words came out of her mouth. The only think Eleanor did do was black out.

B

Eleanor groaned as she opened her eyes to once again see that same wooden ceiling. That meant she was back at her home and sat up while closing her eyes once more. "How did I get here?"

"You're awake." Eleanor opened her eyes and turned to see that same girl from before who saved her. She was sitting on a chair next to her bed while looking to be relieved. "I thought they'd injured you but it seems you passed out." Eleanor continued to stare at the girl before her. It wasn't just her looks that were familiar to her. It was her voice as well. It sounded like the voice from the dream she had. "Your friend arrived shortly after you passed out. I explained to her what happened and I carried you back to your home. Your friend was the one who guided me. I guess I was closer to a village than I thought."

Magilou. That's right. She wondered where her friend was. "Where is Magilou?"

The girl figured that was Eleanor's friend's name. "She left a little before you woke up. You weren't out that long. She mentioned something going to her grandfather reporting about me. Did I break a rule already?"

Eleanor shook her head and was finally able to speak. "No. I think it has to do with the fact that you're new to our village and those who are outside need to have an audience with our village elder, Melchior."

The girl in front of her smiled at the explanation. "I can understand that."

She suddenly winced and held her stomach which had Eleanor concerned. "Are you alright?"

The other girl sucked in air from her teeth and exhaled calmly. "I'm alright. It's just the injury that prickleboar inflicted on me from before."

Eleanor remembered that and suddenly felt a little responsible. "You were hurt because of me. I'm so sorry." She lowered her head at her savior.

However, she didn't mind. "It's alright. Although, I do admit it's not easy taking a full-blown tackle from a prickleboar. Your friend, Magilou was it, was able to put on some first aid before she left but it'll be awhile before I start fighting again. I'm just glad that you're safe."

Eleanor still felt some responsibility for what happened to her savior but she knew better than keep blaming herself for other people's misfortune. As long she was okay as well, that was good enough for her. "I suppose I should thank you for saving me. I don't even know your name. Mine is Eleanor Hume so it's nice to meet you."

The other girl smiled sweetly at Eleanor. "It's nice to meet you, Eleanor. My name is Velvet Crowe."


	2. A Place to Stay

**A/N: Here's the second chapter everyone. It went a lot longer than I thought it originally was going to be which is a good thing.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Berseria

Second Life, Second Chance at Love

Chapter Two: A Place to Stay

"My name is Velvet Crowe."

Velvet Crowe. For some reason, Eleanor really liked the sound of the name. Something about it seemed…comforting to her. "Velvet Crowe, huh?" Even saying the name felt right to Eleanor.

The two girls continued to look at each other for a few seconds longer until they heard the door open and turned to see Magilou standing in front of the open entrance. She gave off a serious look at the both of them. "Let's go. Melchior wants an audience with you."

**B**

The three girls were making their way to Melchior's house and the travel over there gave Velvet a better look at the village the other two girls were living at it. It seemed quaint and peaceful enough to her. It reminded Velvet a little of her own village. What caught her eye the most was the giant tree they were heading towards to that overlooked the village. While walking, Velvet had one question about the person she was going to see. "So…what's this Melchior like? Eleanor said he's the village elder but I'm afraid that's I all I know."

Magilou was disinterested in the question and huffed. "In a nutshell, he's a stubborn old man who can't accept the fact times are changing."

Velvet was about to asked what Magilou meant by that when Eleanor decided to give a more proper answer. "Don't take anything that she says seriously. Melchior is a kind man and reasonable. Not to mention he's an excellent healer. In fact, his granddaughter, Magilou as you've met from before, is also learning how to be a healer."

Velvet was surprised to hear that certain fact and stared at Magilou in disbelief. "I had no idea you were related to the elder."

Magilou scoffed at that. "It's not as a big of a deal as you make it out to be." Velvet could argue against that but decided to not speak of it anymore. After a little more walking, they were coming up to the large tree. "What you're seeing before you is where Melchior lives."

Velvet was certainly not expecting to see nor hear something like this before. "He lives in that giant tree?"

Magilou shook her head. "No, he lives in a house like the rest of us but it does connect to the tree."

As they approached the tree, what Magilou described before was true. It was a two-story house whose roof was attached to the bottom of the tree being uplifted by giant roots which are embedded into the ground. There were also countless flowers planted around the building except on the path before the three girls. It was a sight to behold for Velvet. "This is amazing. I take it he cares for the flowers here?"

Eleanor giggled a little and nodded. "Yes. Melchior has always been fond of flowers. He helped time to time gathering some when I was younger."

Magilou remembered that well from their childhood days. "And that's how you got into collecting flowers in the first place." She had one more thought but kept to herself. _"And it was the only coping mechanism that would help you."_ They walked up to the door and stopped just in front of it. Magilou knocked on the door a few times. "We're here." She reached for the handle and turned it. The door opened slowly and all three girls saw the interior of the house. It seemed homey enough with bookshelves standing against the walls and various potted plants standing in front of every window in the room. In the center of the room were two couches with a rectangular table where there was a cup placed on top of it and there was an elderly man sitting on one of the couches facing the three girls. They entered the building and Eleanor closed the door. "She's here, Melchior."

To Velvet, Melchior seemed a little intimidating to her as if he was already judging the outsider. He let out a small deep hum at them. "Thank you, Magillanica." Magilou just huffed as she turned away from her grandfather. The elder gestured the three to the couch across from him. "Have a seat." All three girls took up the offer and walked to the couch. They each took a seat with Magilou sitting on the right side, Velvet sitting in the middle, and Eleanor sitting on the left side. Melchior then gestured at the cup in front of him. "Would you like to have a cup of tea? I had it brewed before your arrival."

Velvet looked at the cup and graciously took the cup. She held it close to her and sniffed the aroma coming from the tea. Velvet smiled gently at what she had smelled. "It smells delicious, sir." She took a quick sip of the tea and found it enjoyable since it was honey and lemon tea. "It tastes wonderful too." She set the cup down back on the table and slightly bowed to him. "I…thank you for your hospitality."

Melchior said nothing in return as he continued to observe the outsider as she sat straight again. He decided to finally speak to her. "I'm glad you enjoy my tea. Now, tell me dear, would care to introduce yourself, why you decided to visit our village and where you came from?"

Velvet nodded at the questions as she would gladly answer them. "Of course, sir. My name is Velvet Crowe and I come from a village myself called Aball. As for why I'm here, I admit it was coincidental. You see, sir, I'm a traveler and out in the woods just a little farther away, I was hunting several prickleboars for my next meal. They momentarily escaped me and I chased after them. That was when I heard a scream and encountered Eleanor."

Eleanor thought to explain the rest the story from her point of view. "Velvet saved me from the prickleboars and even took a hit from them while trying to protect me."

That particular detail caught Melchior's attention. "Is that so? It's hard to imagine you're still capable of moving after being hit by a prickleboar."

Velvet chuckled a little at that. "I was trained by a swordsman who's now retired called Artorious. Although, I can tell you it'll be a while before I can fight again or travel."

Melchior stroked his beard a few times while analyzing what he was told. "I see. Well then, Velvet, I must thank you for saving Eleanor as she is dear to me and since you cannot go anywhere, for the time being, have you decided on where you'll stay until you fully recover?"

Velvet closed her eyes while shaking her head and then opened her eyes back up to look at the leader. "Unfortunately, I do not. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time I would have to recover while camping out. I've gotten used to it by now."

As soon as she heard that, Eleanor immediately thought of a solution. "She can stay with me!" Everyone turned their attention to her. While feeling a little flustered all eyes were on her, Eleanor continued to push through for her suggestion. "I mean, I was the reason Velvet became hurt in the first place and she did save me. I should be the one responsible for looking after her."

Melchior thought about the suggestion for a few seconds before coming to his conclusion. "If you truly feel strongly about this Eleanor, I'll allow it. You'll look after her until she is able to leave. Do I make myself clear?"

Eleanor nodded quickly. "Of course, sir."

The elder stroked his beard a few more times before nodding back at Eleanor. "Then it's settled. I hope you find our village to your liking, Velvet Crowe."

Velvet had no problem with that. "That won't be a problem, sir." She grabbed the cup again to take another sip before setting it down.

Magilou was the first to stand up from the couch. "If we're done here, then we should get going now. There's still some of Eleanor's birthday left and I aim to celebrate it with her until the very end!" Velvet caught that small detail.

Melchior waved his hand at the trio nonchalantly. "Very well then. I will see you when you return Magillanica."

Magilou didn't say anything in return and Eleanor stood up next. "Thank you for your time and I'll be sure to watch over Velvet carefully."

Velvet was going to stand up but before she could do that, she took the cup in front of her one last time and blew on it to cool it down before drinking what was left of the tea. She didn't want it to go to waste and be disrespectful for what the elder offered her. Velvet set the cup down and finally stood up. "Thank you for the tea and your company sir and thank you for allowing me to stay." She and Eleanor waved goodbye at the elder and he waved back at them before leaving the house. "Oh, yes. Eleanor." Eleanor and co stopped in front of the door and she turned to face the elder. Melchior smiled gently at her. "Happy birthday." Eleanor smiled back at him and she opened the door so they could leave. She promptly closed the door after all of them exited the house.

With their meeting with Melchior done now, the three girls were making their way back to Eleanor's house. Velvet sighed as she could relax now. "Your village elder was very nice and polite even though he did seem a little…judgmental at first glance."

Magilou chuckled haughtily at that. "That's because he is. Whenever someone new comes into our village, he would instantly tell what kind of people they are just be looking at their eyes, their mannerisms, and how they would react with his 'hospitality' such as the cup of tea. Considering he let you leave with us, it means he can trust you. If he didn't, he would've let us leave to have a 'personal' talk with you. Melchior may be a healer but he's no slouch either. He was a powerful sorcerer back in his day."

Now Velvet felt lucky she was able to impress the village elder. Speaking of the elder, she was wondering about something about her new friend. "About what he said earlier, he called you Magillanica. I thought your name was Magilou."

Eleanor thought to explain a little further. "That is her real name but she prefers to be called Magilou. Only Melchior calls her by her real name."

Velvet thought it was strange Magilou would be rather be called something else than her actual name but wouldn't question it. Her focus then turned to Eleanor. "Melchior also mentioned that today is your birthday."

Eleanor was about to speak but Magilou decided to speak up instead. "That's absolutely correct. Today just so happens to mark Eleanor's eighteenth birthday. If you ask me, being attacked by a prickleboar will probably be the only highlight in her life."

Now Velvet felt a little guilty for what she did before. "I see. I'm sorry I ruined your birthday."

The other girl turned to Velvet and shook her head. "Oh, no. You didn't ruin it. Far from it actually."

Even though she said that, Velvet still felt a little responsible. "Still, I should do something as compensation." An idea came to her and smiled. "How about I cook you something? Granted, it won't be a cake but I do know how to make a great prickleboar stew."

Eleanor actually liked the sound of the offer and smiled at Velvet. "Sure, that'd be great. Hopefully, what I have in my kitchen can suffice."

Velvet smiled back at the other girl. "I'm sure it'll be fine." All three continued to travel back to Eleanor's house.

**B**

The trio made it back to Eleanor's home and as promised, Velvet started to make the birthday prickleboar stew as she put her hair into a higher ponytail and an apron. Luckily, Eleanor did have what it took to make the dish as enjoyable as it could be. Plus, the prickleboars Velvet killed before would be put to good use. Eleanor and Magilou felt hungrier as they continued to smell the wonderful birthday dinner Velvet was preparing. If the dish Velvet was preparing smelled this wonderful, they could only imagine what it would taste like. After a while, Velvet was finally done cooking her dish and turned to the other two girls who were sitting on the couch. "Okay, the stew is ready now." Those words alone were enough for them to quickly head to the table and could not wait to taste the meal. Velvet brought three bowls to the table before moving the large pot onto the center of the table. "I hope you like it." She dipped the ladle into the stew and scooped the stew so she could pour it into the bowls.

The first bowl was served to Eleanor and the next one was served to Magilou. Velvet was the last one and she took off the apron and undid her ponytail. She pulled up a chair and sat down from across the other two girls. There was only one thing to say before eating their stew. "Time to eat!"

Both Magilou and Eleanor grabbed their spoons and dipped them into the soup. Once they brought them up to their mouths, they blew on stew filled spoons to cool it down before tasting the wonderful mean Velvet had made. It was at that second, their eyes widened in shock. Eleanor slowly took the spoon out of her mouth and was trying to contemplate what she had eaten. "It's…delicious…"

Magilou didn't waste any time trying to stuff more of the stew into her mouth. "This is really good!"

Velvet laughed at their reactions as it was she expected they would be. "Then I'm glad you two really do like it. There's enough for seconds and thirds if you want."

Magilou grinned at the offer. "If Eleanor doesn't want her portions, I'd be glad to take all of them."

The other girl leered at her friend. "I don't think so." She continued to eat her stew and it tasted equally delicious each time it entered her mouth. "Magilou is right, though. This is really good. You're an amazing cook."

Velvet was happy to hear that. "Why, thank you. It's been a long time since I cooked so I was afraid I lost my touch. And if you think my cooking is good, it's nothing compared to my sister's. Mine isn't even on the same level as hers." Both girls stopped their eating and stared at Velvet like a deer caught in a hunter's sight. They couldn't believe what they heard. If the food Velvet made was this good, they couldn't imagine what her sisters would taste like. They got over their initial shock and all three girls enjoyed the dinner meal together. While doing so, Velvet stopped and looked at Eleanor with curiosity. "That's right. Today is where you turn eighteen, right Eleanor?"

Eleanor stopped eating and looked back at Velvet while nodding at her. "Yes, that's right."

Hearing that brought a smile from Velvet. "That's actually funny. I never knew you were a year younger than me."

Eleanor was quite surprised to hear that. "So you're nineteen?"

Velvet nodded at the question. "Uh-huh." She turned to Magilou who was almost done with her first bowl. "And how old are you Magilou?"

Magilou stopped eating for a second and glared at the other girl. "Haven't you heard you're not supposed to ask a girl about her age?"

Velvet was rather perplexed by Magilou's answer. Eleanor giggled at her reaction. "I wouldn't worry about it. That's her usual response when someone asks her that question." Again, it seemed reasonable enough for Velvet. The trio resumed eating their meal with Magilou starting on her second bowl.

**B**

Magilou stretched out her arms before Eleanor's door. Once she was done, she turned to her friend behind her. "Well, it's been real but I gotta get going now. I hope your eighteenth birthday was everything you ever could've wanted."

Eleanor chuckled lightly at that. "It was eventful, to say the least. Tell Melchior I said hi."

The other girl smiled at her friend and wave at her. "I'll be sure to do that. In the meantime, make sure your beloved knight doesn't strain herself while recovering."

Eleanor blushed slightly at what Magilou said. "W-What are you talking about? She's not a knight."

Magilou smirked as she found a perfect opportunity. "Oh, but didn't she save you from the dreadful prickleboar and rescue her distressed princess just as a knight would in the stories of old?" Eleanor glared at the other girl but that only made Magilou laugh. "Lighten up. You're too easy to tease sometimes. Anyway, I'll be going now. See ya tomorrow." Magilou walked out the door and was now heading back to her home.

Eleanor waved goodbye to her before closing the door. She sighed as things seemed returned to normal. It's the usual aftereffect whenever Magilou would leave. It was something Eleanor had grown accustomed to. That is until she heard the washing of dishes coming from her kitchen. That reminded her that she wasn't alone in her home this time around. Eleanor turned around and walked toward the kitchen. Upon her arrival, she saw that Velvet was almost done drying the dishes. Eleanor stopped walking and smiled at the other girl. She still remembered what Magilou had to her from before. About how Velvet was her knight. Even as an afterthought, the idea still made Eleanor blush a little and she shook her head to dismiss the idea. She sighed and decided to finally speak to Velvet. "Well, Magilou is gone now so it's just the two of us."

Velvet finished drying the last of the dishes and put it next the rest of them. "That's good. It was actually really nice to eat with company and with having a properly cooked meal." Eleonor liked that Velvet enjoyed her time with them. It was different from the usual thing every day and she was more than glad to welcome it. She then let out a yawn which Velvet caught and turned to her. "Tired, are we?"

The other girl chuckled a little. "I suppose so. It really has been an eventful day. Add that to the meal you made, I'm not surprised I'm a little tired."

Velvet couldn't agree more to that. "I suppose you're right. I wouldn't mind cooking for you again. It was very nice and I suppose you can take that as my thanks and payment for letting me stay with you."

It sounded good enough for Eleanor and nodded in agreement. "Sure thing." A thought immediately occurred to her. "Do you have anything you can sleep in?"

The other girl thought about the question for several seconds. "I don't think so. I've been mostly sleeping in my clothes while I was traveling."

Eleanor couldn't believe that Velvet didn't have proper sleeping attire. She had just the solution to rectify that. "If you don't have anything to sleep in, you can borrow one of my mine, if that's okay with you."

Velvet didn't have a problem with the offer. "That's fine. Thank you." With that concluded, the two girls made their way to Eleanor's room where Eleanor would find the proper sleeping attire for Velvet to wear during her stay. Eleanor approached one of her dressers and opened the top drawer to see what Velvet could wear. While she searching, Velvet took the chance to look around Eleanor's room. On another dresser near the bed, she saw a jewel laying on top of it and it caught her interest. "I never knew you had such a jewel in your possession." She started to reach toward it.

Eleanor quickly turned around with a panicked look on her face. "Don't touch it!" Velvet did just that and turned to the other girl just as quickly while looking a little guilty. Eleanor calmed down and slightly looked away from Velvet. "I mean…please don't touch it. It's…very valuable to me and not because it's a jewel."

Velvet could see that this jewel did mean a great importance to her. She stepped away from the jewel while still having that guilty look on her face. "I…apologize. I didn't mean to be rude. If I can ask, what's the significance of the jewel then?"

The other girl finally looked back at her looking apologetic this time. "I…just that it's important to me, that's all."

Velvet knew there was more than that but wouldn't push it any farther. She then noticed that Eleanor was gripping a light blue nightgown rather tightly. "Is that what I'm going to be wearing?"

Her question made Eleanor snap out of it and looked down at the dress. "Uh, yes, it is. I'll leave it on the bed and leave the room so you can change." She walked over to the bed and laid the nightgown on the bed as she said and left the room with closing the door after she left. Velvet looked at the nightgown for a few seconds before undoing the buttons on her outfit.

Eleanor continued to wait outside the door until she heard Velvet's voice. "I'm dressed now, Eleanor." The other girl took the cue and turned around while gripping the handle to turn it. She did and the door opened to reveal Velvet wearing her nightgown. "How do I look?"

For some reason, she looked good wearing Eleanor's clothing which did bring another slight blush but it was barely noticeable to the other girl. "It's…you look nice."

Velvet smiled at Eleanor as she apricated the compliment. "Thank you but however…" She rubbed her chest and seemed slightly uncomfortable. "It's rather a little tight around the chest area." Eleanor took a took a double look and indeed Velvet's bust was rather bigger than hers. Seeing that made her slightly jealous and a little insulted. Velvet quickly caught the look and laughed awkwardly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. I'll leave now so you can get changed." She quickly walked past Eleanor and shut the door.

Now that Eleanor was alone in the room, she calmed down and sighed. "Might as well." She proceeded to take off her own clothes. Outside the door, Velvet was leaning on the door while waiting patiently for Eleanor to change into her sleeping clothes. This whole day wasn't what she thought it would turn out to be but was glad it did happen. She found Eleanor to be very pleasant company. Velvet couldn't place it but there was something about her that made Velvet feel so…comfortable around her. It almost felt…familiar to her. She'd hope to find out more before could leave. "Hey, Velvet?"

Velvet slightly turned her head to the door as soon as she heard Eleanor's voice through the door. "Yes?"

There was a brief silence between the two girls before Eleanor spoke again. "Just how long have you been traveling?"

Velvet looked up at the ceiling and thought about the question. "It's been long three years since I left my village and took up this journey mine."

She heard Eleanor gasp at what she told her. "Three years? You've been gone from your village since you were sixteen? For that long?"

Velvet lowered her head and closed her eyes while smiling. "Yes. When I first left, my sister was still pregnant with my teacher's child who is also her husband. I can already imagine her child walking around at this point and playing with my younger brother."

There was another moment of silence between them before Eleanor spoke again. "You must miss them a lot, huh? What made you want to leave your village in the first place? Surely, you had a reason."

Velvet smiled at the thought of the question. "You might think it's silly but I had a strange dream. I couldn't make out the most of it but there is one detail I do remember and that's the whole reason why I'm on this journey."

On the other side of the door, Eleanor finished dressing into her own nightgown and was leaning against the door same as Velvet. "And what is that reason?"

This time, the silence came from Velvet before she gave her answer. "I'm searching for someone." Eleanor's breath hitched for a second when she heard that. "I don't know who that person is or what who that person looks like but I would never forget the feeling I felt at the time. That's why I decided to leave my village to search for this person. It's been three years but I'm willing to travel for much longer to find the person I'm looking for." She didn't hear a response this time and turned around to face the door. "Eleanor?"

Her response came in the form of a click and the door opened to reveal Eleanor wearing her nightgown and smiling at the older girl. "I think that's a great reason, if not a little a little…arduous. I do hope you find the person you're looking for."

Velvet smiled back at Eleanor. "I hope so too." Now that they were both dressed, there was one more issue they needed to address. "So…where do I sleep exactly?"

Eleanor really hadn't thought of that up until now. "I suppose you can sleep on my bed and I can take the couch."

While Velvet was grateful for the offer, she was still unsure about it. "Really? I wouldn't mind sleeping on the couch. It is your home after all."

Eleanor would have to disagree with that as she shook her head. "You're still recovering and I'm responsible for making sure it'll go well as possible so you'll be sleeping in my bed."

As much as Velvet would like to argue about that, she'll go along with it. "Very well then. Let's get some blankets out for you to have." Velvet reentered the room and both girls took out a couple of blankets and a pillow for Eleanor to use. They set them up on the couch and blew out all the candles. Eleanor laid on the couch with the blankets over her and her head on the pillow. "Eleanor…" She flipped over to her stomach to see Velvet standing in her bedroom doorway thanks to the moonlight beaming through the windows. Velvet gave Eleanor one last smile at her. "Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning and I'll make sure to cook up a tasty breakfast for you."

Eleanor loved the sound of that and smiled back at her. "That would be great. Good night, Velvet." Velvet then closed the door softly with a soft click. Eleanor flipped over again on her back and let out another sigh while staring at the ceiling. Now that today was over, she had another tomorrow awaiting her. The only difference this time was that there was someone entirely new in Eleanor's life. Eleanor thought back to what Velvet had told her. About this strange dream she had. For some reason, it reminded her of the dream she had at the start of her birthday. Eleanor dashed that thought away and tried to focus more on going to sleep. "Guess I'll see what tomorrow has in store for me." She closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep. The only feeling Eleanor felt before sleep took her over was how lonely she felt sleeping by herself. Little did she know; Velvet was feeling the same way sleeping in her bed.


	3. Velvet's Tales of Experience

**A/N: I admit, I struggled a little writing this chapter.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Berseria

Second Life, Second Chance at Love

Chapter Three: Velvet’s Tales of Experience

A week has passed since Velvet has entered Eleanor’s life and Eleanor has noticed a considerable change since then. One of them was Velvet always cooking meals for her which always received high praise. Another was how much time they spent with each other and enjoy each other’s company. For today on an afternoon, Eleanor was hanging bed sheets that she and Velvet have been using on a clothesline outside her own to dry. She was determined to be a most considerable host to her guest while she was staying at her home. After straightening the last of the sheets, Eleanor took a few steps back to shortly admire her work and sighed while wiping her forehead with her arm. “Well, that should about do it. They should be dry within a couple of hours.” She turned away from her laundry and contemplate on what to do next. That is until she heard some noises coming from the other side of her home and decided to check what was it.

She traveled to the other side of the house and once she saw what, or rather, who was making all that noise, Eleanor stopped and hid behind the corner while secretly watching Velvet moving around freely. The way she swung her gauntlet blade along with her body was a sight to behold to Eleanor. Every move Velvet made flowed smoothly with no room for error. Even the way she controlled her movement was incredible. Eleanor couldn’t take her eyes off of the other girl. It was almost mesmerizing to her. That is until she heard Velvet cry out and stopped abruptly. Velvet went down on one knee while holding her side. Eleanor’s trace on Velvet broke and immediately ran to the other girl’s side. “Velvet!”

Velvet looked over at Eleanor’s direction and saw the other girl running towards her. “Eleanor.”

Eleanor kneeled next to Velvet and inspected what damage there was. “You should know better than to move around. You’re still recovering.” She lifted up the side of Velvet’s shirt to see the bandages.

Velvet chuckled sheepishly. “I’m sorry to worry you but to be honest, I was becoming a little stir crazy. I’m not used to standing around and doing nothing. So I decided to do some practicing. I guess we both know how that worked out in the end.”

Eleanor laughed a little in agreement. After checking Velvet’s side which made Eleanor feel a little strange inside her chest, she pulled down the shirt and stood up. “It doesn’t seem there’s any damage but try to take it easier on yourself.”

Velvet stood up and nodded at the other girl. “I will so don’t worry.”

Eleanor smiled at the other girl and her eyes trailed to the gauntlet blade Velvet had. Seeing the weapon made Eleanor a little curious about it and had a few questions. “Hey, Velvet? What’s it like using a weapon?”

Velvet blinked a few times in confusion before noticing where Eleanor was looking at. She then smiled and brought her gauntlet blade up to her. “You mean what’s it like to use this? It’s kinda easy and simple really but the reasons to use it are various.”

Eleanor became more curious about it. “What kind of reasons?”

Velvet was more than happy to explain. “For one, an important lesson for anyone to use a weapon is that it’s not the weapon that makes the person strong but rather how that person uses that weapon. That factor alone can result in various outcomes when it comes to a fight. It’s even more exciting when you’re fighting someone else because you’re not just fighting another person with a weapon. You’re fighting what that person learned and what they can do. Even if you’re fighting someone with the same kind of weapon, teachings, reasons, it’ll all be different.”

Eleanor had no idea there was so much when it came to weapons. “That’s incredible. How do you know all of that?”

Velvet smiled while looking at her weapon. “My master taught me all of that. He was also the one who trained me.”

Hearing about her master reminded Eleanor a certain detail Velvet spoke from before. “And this master is the same one you mentioned before?”

Velvet nodded at the question. “He is.”

Eleanor became more interested in what kind of a person Velvet’s master is. Judging from what she heard so far, he sounded pretty noble. “I see. So, what’s your reason for using your weapon?"

The answer was obvious to the other girl and smiled. “I want to protect people. Especially those who are close to me. I want to defend them and make sure no harm ever comes to innocents.”

Hearing that made Eleanor think back the first time Velvet arrived and saved her from the Prickleboars. “I see.” She admired Velvet’s reason to protect others. If she had a fraction of Velvet’s passion, then maybe she could’ve done something different in the past. That was when an idea hit her. “Do you think you can teach me?”

Her question caught Velvet’s attention. “Teach you how to use a weapon?”

Eleanor nodded at the other girl. “That’s correct. I mean, you can teach the basics of it. You don’t have to go all out on me but it seems interesting.”

Velvet was a little unsure about teaching someone like Eleanor how to wield a weapon. But she saw how interested the other girl was in learning and it reminded how Velvet wanted to learn how to fight with a weapon when she was with Artorious. She sighed and smiled at Eleanor. "Alright then. I'll teach you but just so you know, wielding a weapon can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing with it.”

Eleanor knew that much already and nodded. “Of course. I’m aware of the dangers.”

As long as they’re on the same page, things should play out fine for the both of them. “Okay then. The first order of business to start is to find what weapon best suits you. Everyone has their talent when it comes to using weapons. You wouldn’t happen to have a weapons shop in your village, would you?”

just a little beyond the village behind. I do think that the town does have a weapons shop.”

That was good enough for Velvet. “Then let’s go. We have a whole day ahead of us and I would like to use that time.”

Now Eleanor felt eager to go. “Right. The town isn’t too far away from the village. I’ll go get ready now.” She quickly walked away from Velvet and headed to her house.

Velvet felt a little-excited teaching Eleanor how to properly use a weapon. “I guess I should get ready too. Can’t forget my bag and all.” She quickly made her way to Eleanor’s house to prepare their trip.

**B**

Velvet and Eleanor were walking in the streets in the nearby town Eleanor mentioned before. Velvet had the strap of her travel bag over her shoulder while Eleanor had hers on the say fashion. Velvet looked around the town and felt how lively it was. “This is quite a town. Do you come here often?”

Eleanor was looking around as well. “Time to time. Thankfully, the route between the town and my village is safe to travel on. We should find the weapons shop around here.” Eleanor remembered seeing a weapons shop around the area they were in as she took this route multiple times. It didn’t take her long to find the route where the shop was and led Velvet toward it. After taking a turn to the right, they saw the weapons shop ahead and headed toward it. Eleanor opened the door where a bell rang to signal their arrival. As many times as Eleanor has come to the town and saw the weapons shop, not once has she entered the shop so it was a new experience for her. She and Velvet saw a variety of weapons on display on the walls and from behind the counter. Eleanor walked up to one side to inspect the weapons hung a little closer. “These weapons are so intricate looking.”

Velvet was at the other side of the store admiring the work of the weapons. “The quality of the weapons seems great too.”

“Hey there!” Both girls turned to where they heard the voice over at a counter to see a middle-aged man with quite a strong build polishing a shield come out from behind a curtain. “I thought I heard the bell ring. What kind I do for you two?”

Velvet smiled at the shopkeeper. “We’re just looking around to see what weapon my companion can use.”

The shopkeeper turned to Eleanor who waved at him sheepishly. He smiled at her and then turned back to Velvet. “I see. Well, go ahead and look as much as you want until you find the weapon you want to use.” He looked back at Eleanor. “Just be careful not hurt yourself.”

Eleanor nodded at him quickly. "Of course, sir." She looked back at the weapons to see which one would fit the best for her. She scanned each weapon to see which she can use and was muttering to herself. "An ax? No, it seems too heavy to use. A sword? Maybe. A bow? It seems fitting for me but I want to fight like Velvet. Unless there are weapons that can fire projectiles and transform into a different kind of weapon." It seemed there were almost no weapons Eleanor could use. So far weapons she would consider using would be either a bow or a sword. That is until she saw the next weapon she laid her eyes on. It was a spear. It had a two-pronged blade and something about it called for Eleanor. She grasped the pole with her hand and it somehow felt right to her. It was strange feeling but it was comforting all the same.

“You like that one, huh?” Eleanor was spooked and turned around to see the shopkeeper without his shield. He was smiling at her and looked at the spear. “I’d say it’s a pretty good choice. There’s a saying that sometimes a weapon chooses its wielder instead of the other way around.”

Eleanor was pleasantly surprised hearing that. “Really?” She looked back at the spear.

“I remember my master saying that once.” They both turned to Velvet who was walking over to them. She saw the spear and smiled. “A spear is a good weapon choice. It can offer a medium to long attack range and if used correctly, your opponent won’t be able to reach you.”

After hearing that, then there was no doubt in Eleanor’s mind. “If that’s the case, then I would like to take this weapon.”

It sounded good enough for the shopkeeper. “

And Eleanor quickly turned around to the shopkeeper while having a surprised look on her face. “Eight thousand!?” Eleanor didn’t have that kind of money. Now that she thought about it, she didn’t even know how much money Velvet was carrying in her bag.

“Here you go.” Velvet tossed a bag at the shopkeeper and he caught it. She gave a confident smile at the shopkeeper. “Eight thousand.”

The shopkeeper weighed the bag and sure enough, there seemed to be enough for the purchase. “Great! This beauty is all yours now little lady.”

Eleanor wasn’t going to question how Velvet had eight thousand on her for the time being. She turned to the spear one last time before grabbing the spear by the handle and held it. With Eleanor’s weapon chosen, both girls said thank you to the shopkeeper and left his shop. They quickly made their leave of the town and were heading back to the village. The walk back was relevantly quiet but Eleanor thought now was a good time to ask Velvet a few questions about what happened earlier. “Velvet, how were you able to have eight thousand gald?”

The other girl didn’t see what was the big deal was. “I have a lot more than eight thousand gald. A lot of the money I made while traveling came from bounty hunting, trading, and sometimes…” she groaned a little at the next detail. “Taking up a part time job.”

That last detail made Eleanor a little more interested. “What kind of part time jobs did you have to do?”

Velvet hoped Eleanor wouldn’t ask that question. It was only them at the time being so she didn't see the harm in telling her. "I…worked at maid cafes." She had a slight blush on her face when she finally told Eleanor.

It took a few seconds for Eleanor to register what Velvet had told her. “Maid cafes?”

She then had a random thought about Velvet wearing a maid outfit and giving her a bright smile. _“Welcome back master!”_ The thought made Eleanor’s heart race a little faster while feeling a little heat rise in her cheeks. It did make sense how Velvet was such a professional in keeping her home nice and tidy.

Velvet sighed now that she told Eleanor about her part time job history. “It’s strange I know but they do pay well. Although, I’d rather fight monsters but sometimes I didn’t have a choice depending on the location. As they say, beggars can’t be choosers. Just don’t tell Magilou about this. I don’t think I would hear the end of it from her.”

That was something Eleanor can promise. She could see Magilou teasing Velvet about that sort of thing. “Sure thing. It’s only between us.” Velvet was glad hearing that. She felt like she could trust Eleanor with a lot of secrets. Secrets only she could tell the other girl. They resumed their walk in silence but another question came to Eleanor. “What can you tell me about your village Velvet? It’s called Aball, right?”

This was a question Velvet was glad Eleanor asked her. She couldn’t help but have a small smile on her face. Velvet looked up at the sky while remembering her village. “Aball is a wonderful place. It’s similar to your village but a little bigger. Not only we have a beautiful forest, but it also has a cape overlooking the ocean. On that cape are some ruins from an ancient past. I remember I played so much with Laphicet on the docks and we would fish together.”

Eleanor caught the name Velvet spoke. “Laphicet?”

The other girl giggled softly. “Laphicet is my younger brother and Celica is my older sister.”

Something clicked in Eleanor’s mind as soon as she heard that and smiled at the other girl. “I see. So you’re the middle child of the family. What about your parents? What they are?” Her question made Velvet stop. She stopped as well and now wondered if she asked something she wasn’t supposed to. “Velvet?”

Velvet didn’t respond to Eleanor for several seconds. “My parents…our parents…they were killed when bandits raided our village. Laphicet and I were only kids at the time. Our parents made sure we’d all be safe in a secret cellar beneath the floorboards of the kitchen. However, there wasn’t enough time for them to get to safety and were killed by the bandits. After it was over, everyone in Aball mourned for our losses and Celica had to raise us by herself.” Eleanor could relate to Velvet’s experience. She knew what it was like to lose a parent. The only difference was that at Velvet had other family to look after her. Eleanor was on her own until Melchior took her into his village. “A few years later, Celica found Artorious wandering near our village and took care of him. We just thought he was another wanderer passing through. On that same day, those bandits returned. We thought the same thing would happen again. That is until Artorious dealt with them with such ease. It was incredible. We were all thankful. Especially Celica. It was from that point on he decided to live in our village to further protect us. All of us soon started calling Artorious Arthur.”

Eleanor could piece together the rest of the story regarding Velvet. “I’m guessing seeing Artorious-I mean Arthur, made you want to train under him?”

Velvet nodded at the question. “Yes, although Celica didn’t like the idea of it at first but I was persistent about it. She eventually gave me the chance and that’s how I came to be currently.”

Eleanor wanted to know more Velvet’s family. Specifically, Velvet’s older sister. “You mentioned earlier your sister was pregnant with your master’s child. How did they end up together?”

Velvet chuckled at the question. “It started off with Celica spending most of her time with Arthur and I guess it started to gradually grow as time passed. Even I could see how they would look at each other time to time. It came as no surprise to either Laphicet and me when we found out. Still, we were happy Celica managed to find someone. I…sometime thought if I would be that happy one day.”

Eleanor smiled softly at the other girl as she had full confidence in that. “I’m sure you will one day.”

Velvet smiled back at Eleanor and sighed. “Thank you. I think we’ve spent long enough just standing around. We should continue heading back to the village. We're burning day here." She resumed walking and passed by Eleanor. Eleanor just watched Velvet walk before walking again and caught up with the other girl. She couldn’t help but feel a little anxious in learning to use her newly acquired spear.

**B**

Magilou wasn't the type of person to beto surprised. She would usually be the one doing the surprising instead. To her, this was one of those rare instances where what she was seeing before her was not what she expected when Magilou woke up. She was leaning against one of the trees near Eleanor’s house and had an amused smirk on her face as she saw Eleanor learning how to use a spear, with Velvet being the one teaching her. “Eleanor. I had no idea you had an interest in this kind of thing. Perhaps our lovely crow has more of an effect on you than either of us realize.” She continued to observe Eleanor learning how to properly wield her new weapon.

Eleanor swung her spear side to side a few times while Velvet supervised her. “One of the major points of using a spear is thinking of it not as a weapon you’re using, but an extension of yourself. This is true for any other weapon that person can use.” Eleanor swung her spear down and held her current position. “Stance is everything when wielding a spear. You can tell a lot from your opponent what kind of stance he or she is in. That stance reflects the feelings of the user. If the user is feeling scared or nervous, then it’ll show in your stance. You mustn’t waver or hesitate.” Velvet observed Eleanor’s stance carefully. “Use the momentum of your swings to your advantage and thrust your spear when you see an opening. Each attack must be precise and not one move should be wasted. Spot an opening your opponent gives and take that opportunity instantly. If you miss it, you may not receive a second chance. Sometimes, missing that first chance may be the end of you.”

Eleanor gulped at the last pieces of advice Velvet said to her. She thrust her spear a few times to get a feel for it. After that, Eleanor stopped and swung her spear around while moving her body with it. However, while Eleanor was doing that, she lost her footing and tripped. She yelped and fell to the ground while her spear flew out of her hand. Thankfully, Eleanor’s spear landed away from her. “Eleanor!” Velvet quickly ran up to the younger girl to see if she was injured and kneeled next to her. “Are you okay?”

The other girl groaned a little but gave Velvet a comforting smile. “I’m fine. I guess I should’ve focused more on my footwork.”

Velvet chuckled a little upon hearing that. “Yes. You have to know where you’re going to move. Moving your body while calculating your attack. It’s difficult but you’ll get the hang of it. Even I had difficulty at first when I first trained with Arthur.”

Eleanor couldn’t help but laugh as she tried to imagine Velvet messing up every now and then. Then the two girls heard clapping and turned to see Magilou walking toward them while continuing to clap. “My, my. Quite the spectacle you’ve shown me. You’re becoming quite the spearmen. Or should I say spearwomen?”

The two stood up and Eleanor was quite surprised to see her friend. “Magilou. How long were you watching?”

Magilou gave her friend a playful smirk. “Oh, not long. I did happen to hear all the advice Velvet here gave to you. I had no idea you were such an expert. Did you practice with one before using the weapon you’re using now?”

Now that she thought of it, Eleanor wondered the same thing. “Hey, yeah. How do know all of that?”

Velvet didn’t why she wouldn’t explain. In fact, she was glad this was brought up. “To answer Magilou’s question, no, I never picked up a spear before but I have gone against several spear users in my travels. Two of them stand out the most to me. I remember back in my travels in the east, I have heard of a certain individual but obviously, I didn’t have a spear. Coincidently enough, a band of bandits attacked the village I was currently at. While I fighting against the bandits, that very same person appeared and aided me in defeating the bandits. I could see why she gained the reputation she had. Her spear was especially something else. The base of part of her spear blade was that was shaped of an emerald green dragon. After we defeated the bandits, we spent a little time knowing each other. It turned out we had a similar past. Her family was killed by bandits as well, including her older brother. That was why she hunts bandits. So that no one would have to go through what she had to go through. I did ask her if I can fight her so I can see how strong she is. We fought on the next day.”

This was the first-time Eleanor heard of Velvet fighting against another person. “So, how was the fight against her?”

Velvet’s response was a light chuckle. “She was powerful I’ll say considering she was self-taught. Our fight lasted the entire day.”

Magilou was impressed hearing that. “My, an entire day? Without a break in between?”

Velvet nodded at the other girl. “Indeed. Neither of us wanted to let up. Plus, it was too fun to stop. In the end, our fight ended in a draw but we were both content with that. The day after our fight, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.”

Eleanor wished she could’ve met this person and seen what she was like. “So, if that was the first, who was the second?”

Velvet recalled that particular meeting rather well. “The second was someone I met while I was in the south. She was the one who approached me while I was passing through in another small village. She had very striking features She had olive skin, wavy hair, and was wearing a blue sari. She also had a tribal tattoo on her left shoulder and that accent she had was unlike anything I’ve heard of before. Probably because she was from further from the south. Her reason coming toward me was because she could see how strong I was and wanted to spar with me to see if she was right. I could say the same about her. We found a spot where we could fight freely. The spear she used was unique. It was double bladed on both ends and could separate into three different parts with a chain holding them together.”

Eleanor had no idea spears could do such a thing. “How did that fight go?”

Velvet’s response was a light chuckle. “The fight didn’t last long. It was about fifteen minutes before that woman defeated me. She was very experienced. Much more so than the bandit hunter. She spent the first few minutes gauging my strengths and weaknesses. The rest of the fight was just me trying to defend against her attacks. In the end, I was completely outmatched. In terms of skill and in power. However, knowing that only made me want to improve myself more. One of the things I’ve learned during my travels is the people I meet and see how varied the world is." She looked up at the sky. "It's something sensational to me." Velvet chuckled a little as she had a funny thought. “Now that I think about it, it would be funny to see how those two would interact if they ever met each other.”

After hearing that, Eleanor wondered how much of the world Velvet had seen with her eyes. In comparison, Eleanor had only known her village life. That saddened her a little but…for some reason, it made her all that more determined. It showed how much she had to learn in the short time Velvet had with her. She walked over to her spear with the other two girls looking at her and picked up the spear. "Let’s keep going.” She turned around to face Velvet. “I still have a lot learn and I want to learn what you experienced during your travels.”

Seeing Eleanor this enthusiastic about learning more about how to use a weapon reminded Velvet of herself when she was first training with Arthur. “Sure thing. We still have plenty of daylight left. Do you want to join in Magilou?”

Magilou responded with a dry chuckle. “Uh, no. I don't do anything that's physically straining. I'll leave that to you but I'm more than happy to speculate to see how far Eleanor will go with this new hobby of hers. If you’ll excuse me now, I’ll be moving where I won’t be shish kabobbed in the chest the next time Eleanor accidentally throws her spear." She proceeded to walk away from the two girls where she could observe them from a safe distance.

Velvet expected Magilou to say that. She looked more like a person who would use mystic artes anyway. “Very well.” She turned back to Eleanor. “Let’s resume, shall we? First, take up your stance…”

 


End file.
